Chinese musical Jane Eyre to hit ROK theaters

BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese-language musical Jane Eyre, produced by the Hangzhou Theater, will tour the Republic of Korea (ROK) in August after its domestic run.

The musical, based on Charlotte Bronte's classical novel, includes a well-received twist in which the character of the author herself appears as pen pal and confidante of the female protagonist and warns her to stay away from men and marriage.

The production has been a commercial hit with more than a hundred shows since its 2013 premiere. It's currently touring Beijing and China's northeastern regions.

"In the past, theater arts in China were made mostly to win awards. Now we resort to theater-specific original productions to expand market influence," said Ke Chaoping, general manager of the Hangzhou Theater.

According to Ke, the ROK is at the front of Asia's theater art world concerning production and education levels, and the upcoming tour will be a good opportunity to learn from the country's theater industry.